FAIRYTALE MYTHS

1. That they generally are simple tales so must be easy to write.  (No!).
   
2. There are always happy endings.  (See The Little Mermaid for proof otherwise).
   
3. That all lead characters are bright young things. (See The Shoemaker and the Elves for proof otherwise).
   
4. That they must be short tales because we all know fairytales are for kids and they haven't got a lengthy attention span.  (Where to start on this one?  Try The Travelling Companion, The Little Mermaid (yes again!), The Snow Queen just to name three of the longer fairytales that come immediately to mind to show longer tales hold the attention and imagination.
   
5. That all characters in fairytales are cliches.  (They can be but sometimes that cliche can save a lot of description.  If I say someone was a traditional fairy godmother, in those three words you will conjure up an image of exactly what I mean.  Besides which fairytales can and are spoofed, reversing cliches.  See Shrek for brillant proof of this.  Also Hoodwinked, which I thought was underrated).